Separation
by Kid Ape
Summary: A family of eevee are split apart from each other. They overcome tests and trials as they try to find their way home while avoiding a ruthless group called Team Nebula. But with the new Pokémon and people they meet, will they ever be able to return to their normal lives?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The winter's kiss chilled the forest area. The forest called Eterna. The trees and bushes covered in the frozen rain that fell the night before, no longer held their leaves, leaving them bare and naked. the ground held most of the snow as mounds bulged through the white fluff. The night was young and crisp. The air seemed sharp and still. Such a beautiful night. Most Pokémon of the forest were sleeping the season away. A small hole inside a hollowed tree made the perfect home for a small family of eevee. They slept soundly as the night carried on. A litter of newly hatched kits slept in the comfort of their mother's warmth. The mother was a beautiful Flareon. Her fur seemed to radiate her strength and displayed the most color of any in the forest. Her eyes, watching her precious kits dreams, went deep and burned with her love for them. There were only two remaining of her litter. Unfortunately the smallest one was lost three moons ago. The pain she endured from the loss only strengthened her love for her other kits. She shed warm tears for the memory as she nuzzled her kits. They moved and snuggled closer to her trying to stay warm. The fact that she was a Flareon only helped to keep her and her children warm. The winter would not the cause them to freeze. She silently thanked herself for making this choice when she evolved. Her name was Ryla.

The father was an Umbreon. He would usually leave at this time to find any remaining berries that hasn't been frozen by the chilled air. Though Ryla did rely on him for protection, especially now that they had children, Ryla understood that without food they would starve. She was a Flareon, so she would be the best answer for keeping the kits warm. Plus she was female. He wouldn't allow manual labor to be pushed onto her, even if he was sick. He told her that his guilt would never leave him alone if something happened to her.

"A Charizard may come along and think of you as a tasty snack." She remembered him saying.

"Oh Yumi. You worry too much." She thought to herself as a blushing smile spread on her face. she did appreciate the love he had for her and their kits. Without him, she wouldn't know where she would be.

Soon she grew tired and with a quiet yawn, she began to drift off. Her eyes closed and before she knew it, Yumi was nudging her softly.

"How are you, Ryla?" He asked whispering. Ryla yawned and looked at him. His yellow rings softly glowed, giving their small den a dim lighting.

"I'm fine. Did you find anything?" He nodded.

"Not much, but it should due for a few days." He looked to a corner that held a small pile of pecha berries. Ryla looked astounded.

"That many? That could last us for the rest of winter!" She said. Yumi smiled.

"Like I said, its not much." He said being modest. Ryla smiled. "How are the kits?"

"Sleeping soundly. Not even a peep." Ryla said as she looked down at them. She nuzzled them and softly licked their new fur.

"You made beautiful children Ryla." Yumi said full of pride. Ryla looked at him.

"We made beautiful children. You are their father as much as I am their mother." Yumi smiled and nodded. He looked closer at her and saw the tear stains on her cheeks.

"You've been crying." He said to her softly. She turned away. "I too grieve for our lost child. You don't have to hide that from me."

"I'm sorry Yumi. I just miss her so much.." She let more tears fall and he nuzzled her affectionately.

"I do too. I wish we could still have her, but Arceus had a better place for her. We can only pray that she is at peace. We still have her in our hearts, and thats all that counts." Ryla began to sniffle. Her tears fell over her two kits. Yumi leaned in and licked them off of her cheeks.

"I promise to love our children and I will always protect them. I will lay my life down for them." Ryla vowed. Yumi sat over his family, tall and proud.

"As do I." he swore. Ryla saw the intensity in is his eyes. She saw that look all the time when they were eevee kits. Even when there was danger near, he never left her side. He would stare down even strong enemies to protect her. Now that they were mates, that trait was even stronger, and he meant every word of it.

Yumi then went over to the berry pile and brought Ryla one over. He set it down in front of her. She quickly ate it and invited him to lay next to her. Yumi found a comfortable spot and layed by her. She nuzzled him and he returned the gesture.

"Good night, Yumi. I love you."

"I love you too. Sleep well."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sun rose over the forest. The bird Pokémon cheerily welcomed the warm rays with their musical cries. The snow was nearly gone as the winter's grip melted under the sun's warmth. Soon the forest was alive with Pokémon. A group of Bidoof happily splashed in the now melted rivers. Several Budew munched on freshly grown berries as they watched an angry staravia fuss from atop the trees. A small eevee kit tumbled out of it's tree home den as it explored the new sights. The tall wood thingies towered over her as she gasped at the size of them. The ground had patches of white stuff on the ground. Curious, she began to trot over to them.

"Rima! Wait for me!" called her brother Greemy as he too stumbled out of the den. She giggled at him as he stood up. "I'll give you something to laugh at!" He said as he playfully tackled her to the ground. He pinned her down and she started laughing. He tried to growl at her, but began laughing too.

"Be careful you two!" Called their mother as she walked out of the den, followed by their father.

"Yes, mom!" They called and continued playing.

"They are quite energetic, aren't they?" Yumi said to his mate.

"Much like we used to be." Ryla replied with a warm smile. She then got an idea as she looked at Yumi. She slowly turned her body to him and jumped. Yumi was caught off guard as she tried to pin him down. He spun out from under her and tackled her to the ground with a playful growl. They were just like kits again. Rima and Greemy saw their parents rough housing and ran over to join them. Rima lunged at Yumi and tackled him off of Ryla. Greemy then jumped on his mother trying to hold her down.

"A future flareon!" She laughed. She effortlessly pushed him off and caught him in her arms. He struggled to get free but his mother was too strong. "I've got you now!" she said. She then began to lick him mercilessly. He struggled even harder, but Ryla wouldn't let go.

"Mom! Let me go!" He pleaded. She licked his fur until he felt her saliva soak through. "Ugh! Mom, gross!" He managed to get away and tried to wipe his mother's wet mouth matter off. She giggled at how cute he looked. He looked at her with a scraggly mane and fur. A pouty look was drawn on his face."That's mean!" He said with a small whine. Ryla laughed. Greemy ran up and nuzzled her side, both trying to get the saliva off and for love for her. Ryla nuzzled him back. They both then looked at Yumi and Rima and saw that they were both laughing. Rima was lying on Yumi's back as Yumi lay on the grass watching his mate and son play. Greemy and Ryla then went over to them and lay beside them, all savoring each others company.

"That was fun!" Rima said. "Now I'm hungry.." Yumi laughed at his daughter's randomness.

"That's why we let you two out today." He began. He then stood up as Rima jumped off of his back. She trotted over to Ryla and Greemy and sat down. "Today, I'm going to teach you how to search for berries." Rima looked confused. They had as many berries as they can eat in the den. They could last forever. Why did they need more?

"But can't we eat the ones we have?" She asked. Yumi smiled at her.

"I want you to be able to find some on your own when you need to. This is important for you to know." Rima didn't quite understand, but she would do whatever her father said.

"We're gonna go further away?" Greemy asked excitedly. Yumi nodded.

"While we are gone, I need you both to stay close and do as I say, alright?" The two eevees nodded.

Yumi then turned around and began walking. He looked back and beckoned for his kits to follow. Greemy quickly bounded after him. Rima looked at Ryla who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Go on, little one. I'll be right here waiting for you."

"You're not coming?" She asked worried.

"I must protect the den. It's better that your father show you these things." Ryla saw the look of worry on Rima's face. She leaned in and licked her cheek. "Don't worry. Your father will protect you, no matter what." Rima then slowly walked to her father. Yumi patiently waited for her and then began walking. As they left, Rima looked back to see her mother smiling back at her. That encouraged her to continue. Soon the den was out of sight. Greemy and Rima took in their new surroundings.

The tall wooden thingies seemed so big compared to her. There were so many of them and they seemed to go on for eternity. The ground had small green patches that mingled with small white patches. Rima noticed the white patches were cold to the touch while the green ones were soft and cuddly. She liked the green ones better. Greemy kept licking the white ones. He said that it turns into water when he eats it. He almost ate one that was yellow, but was stopped by Yumi who warned them about a bad taste the yellow patches had. Rima thought he must've eaten one before. Soon they came to a small bush that had freshly grown leaves on them. Under the leaves were funny shaped fruits. They were yellow and had darker yellow dots on them.

"What's that, dad?" Greemy asked, amused by the strange fruit.

"This is a Sitrus Berry bush. These berries are not only tasty, but they give you energy if you are near fainting." Yumi explained. He then bit one down from the bush and took a big bite from it. The juice burst from it and splashed on the grass. Rima and Greemy saw their father's mouth spill juice as he gobbled down the bite. Rima fell to the ground laughing at the sight.

"Are they always that messy?" She asked through giggles. Yumi smiled at her.

"They are bursting with flavor." Greemy added with a big laugh.

The three continued their search for many different berries. They found the oh so familiar Pecha berries, and even came across a few Oran berry bushes. So far the only one that Greemy hated was the Lum berries. Yumi warned them about bushes that carried berries that were poisonous, and showed them how to tell them apart. Soon they finished their journey and started back home. As Rima and Greemy chased each other, Yumi kept a watchful eye on them and made sure to not let them wander too far. Greemy found an unwanted friend as a weedle shot it's silky string on his tail. He growled at the bug Pokémon, but it just smiled and shot him on his nose. Greemy wiped the web off and tried to catch the weedle, hoping to get his revenge.

Suddenly Yumi stopped as he caught a smell he didn't recognize. His ears perked up and he was alert to everything. Rima stopped playing and noticed her father standing in place, seeming to wait for something. A low rumbling vibrated the ground. Rima looked down and saw the ground moving. Greemy stopped and looked down too.

"Daddy, What's happening?!" Rima said with fear. Yumi then bolted toward her and Greemy. He Grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and fast as lightning did the same with Greemy. He ran with both kits in his mouth as the rumbling grew worse. Rima and Greemy bounced off of one another as Yumi sped up. Suddenly a loud crunching sound echoed through the trees. The rumbling was now making everything in sight seem to dance. There were more crunch noises and something made a deep whirring noise. Yumi didn't stop or even look back. As Rima bounced, she caught a glimpse of what was behind them. A gigantic Delibird with rolling thingies for feet plowed behind them. It had a strange mark on its tummy and crushed everything in its way. Rima let out a terrified cry and Yumi only sped up. He then turned and tried to shake off the unnaturally large Pokémon. The Delibird was fast for its size and had no trouble keeping up with him. Yumi sprinted for several minutes with the enemy hot on his trail. He ran until the trees cleared and in front of him ran a large stream. He stopped as quickly as he could, trying not to fall into the still freezing waters. The stream was too wide to jump, especially without a good running start. He looked desperately for a means of escape, but saw nothing. The Delibird was coming and Yumi was running out of time. He set the kits down and looked them in the eyes.

"Listen to me very carefully." He panted. Rima and Greemy looked at him wide eyed and full of fear. "You have to make it back home no matter what, You understand?!" He said with tension in his voice.

"Daddy, where are you going?!"Rima was near tears.

"Just do as I say! Stay together! If you lose each other, find each other no matter what!" Yumi had a look that Rima and Greemy has never seen before. That made them even more scared. Yumi nuzzled them once more. "I love you both so much. I'm sorry." Rima licked him on his cheek and tasted the saltiness of tears. Yumi then nudged them both into the river. They were caught off guard as the rush of cold water shocked their bodies pushed them down the stream. It seemed like ice was forming around her as struggled against the flow. Rima tired to kick and stay afloat but the current was too strong. For a split second she saw the Delibird plow through the trees and grab Yumi. He tried to fight back but the Delibird lifted a giant white thing and stuffed him inside. Rima wanted to cry out for her father, but the rushing water forced her to hold her breath. She banged into several rocks and her vision began to falter. She tried to look for Greemy but when she opened her eyes, everything was blurry. Finally she managed to rise to the surface of the water. She desperately looked for her brother but he was nowhere in sight.

"Greemy!" She screamed out. No answer. The water pulled her back under and she flailed helplessly about. Once again she came up. She gasped for air and prayed to Arceus to not let her drown. She looked to the direction the stream was heading and her heart skipped when she saw what was coming. A waterfall dead ahead. She tried to swim to shore, but she hardly moved in the strong pull of the water. All she could do was cry out for help. As the waterfall drew nearer, she finally saw a familiar face struggling against the stream along with her.

"Greemy!" She cried out to him.

"R-Rima!" He shouted back. They tried to move closer to each other, but failed miserably. "Rima, Nooo!" He was then sucked down in the water and fell over the falls. "Greemy!" Rima screamed. Before she could take another breath, She too was dragged under and fell helplessly over the falls.

end of chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

All was dark, wet and cold. A constant shushing noise softly danced around in her ears. She awoke from the strange noise around her, head heavy and in pain as her body ached. She tried to lift her head but a sharp pain in her head forced her to lay back down. She couldn't hold on any longer and drifted back to sleep. She awoke to the same shushing, but it was more quiet. Her body was cold, but her head felt hot and her breathing was near pant. She felt something move against her. She was too weak to try to fight back, but she at least tried to look at what it was. She struggled to open her eyes. The light was bright and her eyes stung. She immediately closed them and whimpered in pain. She waited for the pain to leave before trying again. She was ready as her eyes slowly opened. They hurt but she endured and kept them open. She found herself in a strange den that was covered in vines and leaves. The entrance was wide and outside was a light drizzle of rain.

Rima felt something move against her again. She couldn't see what it was and her heart began to pound in her chest. She tried to stand but the pain wouldn't let her move. Tears swelled in her eyes as she prepared for the worst.

"Don't strain yourself." said a voice above her. It was strong and clearly male. Rima's heart froze at the unfamiliar presence. She whimpered in fear. Who was this Pokémon? "It is alright. I will not harm you." He said trying to assure her. Rima looked at who it was. She saw a large white Pokémon sitting over her. He had a large blue horn on one side of his head and a blue gem in the center. His fur shimmered on its own and his eyes were a deep crimson red. He looked down to her with a look of kindness, almost as if he were protecting her. Rima had never seen a Pokémon like this one before.

"You have been through much." He said to her. He stood to his clawed feet and went to a corner of the den. He came back with a blue colored berry in his mouth. He bit down on it and cut it in half. He did the same to one of the now smaller pieces and placed it in front of her. "This will ease the pain and help you rest." Rima looked at the fragment of the Oran berry and took a bite from it. She swallowed it and tried to lay back down. Her stomach fluttered and moaned at her. Suddenly her stomach pushed the berry back up and she rose and threw the mushed food onto the den floor. The taste was horrible and it stuck to her tongue, but her body was in too much pain to think about the bitterness for too long. Soon her head began to spin and she found herself lying back on the floor. The white Pokémon looked at her with concern. He left out and came back with a large leaf. It had two stems that looped on four sides of it. He sat it down in front of her.

"Drink. You are dehydrated and This will help you be able to eat." Rima tried to stand, but as she rose her body shivered and shook. She managed to make it too the leaf and slowly lap the water down her throat. The water was cool and crisp. She finished and looked at the other Oran berry piece. She bit into it and swallowed. As small As it was, she still couldn't finish it, so she ate what she could and let her body fall back down to rest. She thought of what happened to her at the stream. The giant delibird and Her father pushing her and Greemy into the rushing water. She thought of the giant Pokémon stuffing her father into the big white thing and how she lost Greemy. This was all so sudden and confusing. What happened to daddy? Is he okay? And where was Greemy? Would she be able to find him like daddy wanted? What about mom? Rima felt a lump grow in her throat. Her eyes let tears fall as the sadness overwhelmed her. She wanted her family back. She wanted to nuzzle her parents and play with her brother. She wanted to go home.

"Sleep well, little one. All hope is not lost." She heard as she felt her sleep take her back in its grasp.

Rima dreamt of her home. Her beautiful mother, her strong father and her loving brother. The den was flooded with berries of all sorts. Her family was standing at the entrance welcoming her home. She began to run toward them, happy to see they were all okay. She was home. She was back home where it was safe. Her happiness soon turned to confusion as she ran. The trail she was on seemed to grow longer the faster she went. The den didn't move however. Yumi turned around to face the den. Ryla and Greemy followed. That same crunching noise echoed through the forest and suddenly the den was crushed to splinters. There stood the giant delibird from before. With a metallic screech, its eyes glowed blood red and Soon the sky grew to a evil shade of gray. Ryla screamed and Greemy tried to run. Yumi turned to Rima and snarled.

"Why didn't you protect your brother?!" He barked at her. Rima stopped in place, paralyzed with fear. Her eyes grew wide and her heart pounded, trying to escape her chest. The delibird reached down and scooped her family up. It brought around its white bag and violently stuffed them inside. The bag tightened around them and outlined their crushed bodies. The delibird looked at Rima who couldn't move her feet. Her mind screamed for her to run but her body refused to obey. She watched the giant Pokémon approach her. As it neared her, it seemed to grow larger and larger. Soon it was taller than any tree in the forest. With a final screech, it reached down and picked her up. Rima screamed as loud as she could as tears fell from her eyes. The delibird opened its bag and threw her in. She fell until the hole she was thrown in became but a speck of light she had no hope of ever reaching again. She turned down to where she was falling. She saw Yumi's head coming towards her. He was bloodied and his eyes were dead. He looked at her and opened his mouth. As she fell in he snapped his jaws shut.

Rima woke with a terrified start. She screamed at the top of her lungs as her heart thrashed about her ribs. She trembled and shook as she looked around. Where was she? This place, this den. She didn't see anything familiar. The strange white Pokémon from earlier awoke next to her. He looked at her a little shocked at her outburst. She looked at him with fear in her eyes and she began crying. The Pokémon Knelt down to her but she began to back away.

"Please no! Dont eat me, please!" She begged as panic consumed her. She backed into a corner and curled up into a tiny brown ball. The Pokémon nuzzled her softly.

"Do not be afraid, little one. You are safe." He said to her. Her breathing was fast and her heart still pounded in her.

"I want my daddy.." She whimpered. "I want to go home..." The white Pokémon Rose up. He looked at her with concern.

"I don't know where you come from. I found you floating in the river barely alive." Rima looked at him remembering her dream.

"A giant delibird attacked us.. We ran but we couldn't get away. My daddy is gone..." Rima thought about him. Her eyes welled up. she laid down in the corner and sobbed. The white Pokémon laid next to her and tried to comfort her. "My brother... I want my brother. I want my mommy.." The white Pokémon listened to her. He couldn't say anything that would make her feel better. He didn't know where she lived in the forest and by the looks of her, she was too young to really have traveled far from her den before. The only chances there were was a scent of her home. He could smell her family's scent on her and would be able to track where they might be, but the water from the river washed the scent clean off of her. Chances of her finding home were slim. Very slim.

"I can't tell you that I can find your family. But as long as you are here, I will protect you. I can understand if you want to leave, but all I ask is that you stay here to get well. You will need your strength if you are to make such a journey." The white Pokémon seemed honest and trustworthy. If he wanted to hurt her, she thinks he would've done so by now. She couldn't feel any ill intentional vibes coming from him. Her heart slowed down and her sense of panic faded away. She looked to the entrance of the den. It was raining slightly, almost as if it was nearly done. The air was cool and gave a comforting feel. She could tell the day was nearly gone. Rima looked up at the white Pokémon. He looked at her and tilted his head, waiting for an answer. Rima then looked away. What should she say? She didn't even know him. Was he as nice as he lead on, or was he just acting so he could let her get comfortable and then gobble her up? The more she thought of it, the more she realized that she was lost and had no idea how to get back home. Also she was a child. The monsters outside might come out to take her away. Her young mind imagined more delibirds trying to catch her. She shivered at the thought.

"Can I stay here until I feel better?" she asked hoping he wouldn't say no. He smiled, obviously happy she asked.

"I would love to have you here, little one." He said with a smile. "I don't have much company anyway. So tell me. Do you know how to find food?" Rima nodded.

"My daddy taught me and my brother how to find berries." She replied.

"That's good. I would like for you to show me. We will go when you are well." Rima's tail began to swish behind her. She was glad he was letting her stay. Maybe he won't try to eat her. Maybe he could protect her from the monsters in the forest. She noticed that she was still sleepy as she yawned. The white Pokémon smiled at how cute she looked. She then nuzzled against his white fur. It was soft and smooth so Rima quickly got comfortable. Before she dozed off, she thought of something to ask.

"What kind of Pokémon are you?"

"I am an absol and my name is Kano."

End of chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

chapter 4

As the night began to settle on the forest, a small brown fur ball lay fainted on the shore of a stream. The ground was wet and soggy and mud covered the brown ball as the water tried to reclaim it in it's current. It didn't move at all and it seemed to not even be alive. A noctowl soared above the trees and scanned the ground below. Its graceful wings flapped causing deep whooshing sounds to beat against the air. It flew over the stream and decided to land to take a sip. It's clawed feet sank into the moist earth as it slowly strutted along the side of the rushing water. It found a spot to easily drink from the stream. As it lowered its head to sip, a magikarp leapt out of the water and splashed about. The noctowl pulled back and glared at the annoying pokemon.

"How rude.." She said. It splashed down the stream and suddenly flopped onto the shore. It struggled and flailed about trying to reach the water again. The noctowl sighed and quiclky flew over to it. With a few flaps, she pushed the clumsy magikarp back into the water. It jumped up and down as it made its way down the stream. The noctowl supposed that was its way of saying sorry and thank you. She waved goodbye and began to drink. When she was satisfied, she stood to admire the scenery. The trees blossomed new flower buds that smelled like heaven. The sunset blended against the treetops and gave the horizon a twilight glow. She sighed at what she saw.

"I'm glad Hiyami lets me out every once in a while. Sometimes I miss it out here." She said to herself. After several more minutes she decided to leave. Before she could take flight, she saw something on the side of the stream. An unusual bump in the mud. Her curiosity got the better of her so she went over to investigate. The closer she came, the more the lump resembled a pokemon. She realized it WAS a pokemon and quickly flapped to it. She saw it was covered in mud and seemed completely lifeless. She looked closer and saw that it was an eevee kit.

"Oh no.. Poor little thing." She said feeling sympathy for the tiny pokemon. She leaned her head down on the eevee's body and shot back up. "You're alive!" She said loudly. Her heart fluttered as she tried to think of what to do. It finally came to her.

She wouldn't be able to carry the kit without injuring it further, so she pulled it off of the shore and next to a tree. She layed it on a pile of soft leaves and placed a few twigs on top of it to make sure nothing found it. After ensuring it was safe, she took to the skies and flew as fast as she could to find her trainer. She scanned the ground, intensivley looking for any signs of her master. She then spotted a small campsite. A purple tent was set up near a small fire that burned fresh wood. The noctowl then saw a young girl stepping out of the tent with something in her arms. The girl's hair was a shimmering brown and was in loops on either side of her head. She wore a dress that was blue and black with a pokeball design on the side of it.

The noctowl dived for the site and as she neared land she spread her wings and quickly landed without flaw. The girl looked and her expression became overjoyed.

"Nina, you're back!" She said happily. "Did you enjoy your flight?" Nina began to flail desperately as She cried out to her trainer.

"You have to come quickly, Hiyami! There's a hurt eevee kit! We have to help it!" She gasped. She knew Hiyami only heard poke talk and didnt understand a word she said, but hopefully she would pick up her distressed feelings. Hiyami's smile faded as she realized something was wrong.

"What is it, Nina?" She said with concern. Nina then gestured for her to follow and thrusted herself back into the sky. Hiyami put down what she had in her arms and grabbed her bag by the fire. She then bolted after her pokemon, keeping her eyes up to make sure she didnt lose sight of her. Nina led her back to the river and landed by the tree. She flapped and cried her name to draw Hiyami nearer. Hiyami soon reached her pokemon.

"Is this it?" She asked Nina pointed to the pile of twigs and moved them. Hiyami gasped. "Oh no!" She said as she looked upon the eevee kit. She knelt down and softly lifted it in her arms. It was wet and ran a high fever. The kit was still breathing, but barely. Hiyami sat down with it and took off her bag. She rummaged through and pulled out a potion. She sprayed the eevee from head to tail. The fever stayed but its breathing slowly came back. Nina watched in concern and paced the ground tirelessly.

'Why not just catch it?' She asked herself. Hiyami looked at her.

"I can't catch it because the process may hurt it more." She said almost as if she heard what Nina was thinking. She then stood up with the kit and craddled it as she hurried back to the campsite.

Inside the tent, Hiyami had made a small bed for the kit and layed it down to rest. As it slept, she turned to Nina who rufused to stay in her pokeball.

"You did great today, Nina. I'm glad you found this little kit. If it would've been a little later I don't think he would've made it." Nina cooed happily at her trainer's praise. Hiyami then petted her pokemon's head. Nina loved and savored each moment. Her attention then turned to the eevee. So did Hiyami's. The kit began to shiver as it slept. Nina and Hiyami kept a close eye on it. "We need to get him to a pokemon center." No sooner than she said that, a low rumbling sounded through the forest. Hiyami Peeked outside the tent and a small rain drop splished on her nose. She wiped it off and looked up. There were no stars. Only darkness. Even then she could still see the clouds rolling by. She pulled back into the tent and sighed.

"No pokemon center tonight." she said to Nina. Nina hooted sadly. "We have to look after him ourselves." Hiyami then pulled out two pokeballs and released a pikachu and an audino. The pikachu stretched and looked about the tent.

"Hey, Nina." He said happily. Nina smiled back.

"Hi, Rocky." She replied. Hiyami named him Rocky because for an electric pokemon, he liked to play around with rocks quite a lot.

"Its nice and cozy in here." The audino said as she snuggled into Hiyami's sleeping bag.

"Senie, be careful." Nina said, thinking about the eevee. Senie came from a different region called Unova. She says that the pokemon here are diferent from over there.

"We have a visitor." Rocky said as he sniffed the air. He looked toward the eevee. Hiyami went over and showed them the small pokemon. The eevee slept with small frequent breaths. Senie went over to it and touched its forehead.

"Arceus! He's burning up!" She gasped. Rocky looked away to the entrance to the tent. His ears twitched. Nina looked at Hiyami who looked back at her pokemon with a look of worry.

"I don't know what to do, Nina." She said sadly. Nina looked at the eevee.

"Can't you do something, Senie?" She asked. Senie shook her head.

"There's nothing I can do." She said as she rubbed the eevee's ear. "We can only wait to see if he gets better." Hiyami looked at her pokemon speak. She didn't know what they were saying, but she got the feeling that it was about the eevee, and it might not be good.

"The eevee's not who I was talking about." Rocky said. Nina and Senie looked at him surprised.

"What do you mean?" Nina asked. Rocky looked at her.

"Like I said. We have a visitor." He then looked back at the entrance. He took a fighting stance and his cheeks sparked with electricity. Hiyami looked at him.

"What is it, Rocky?" She asked. She went over to him and saw that he was growling at the entrance of the tent. She peeked outside and looked around. The rain had picked up and the water started to slowly soak her hair. She couldn't see anything for a while and thought Rocky was just a little over protective. She then saw a shadow move behind the trees. She gasped and pulled back into the tent. "Someone is out there." she whispered. "Rocky. Nina. I need you." The two pokemon then jumped out of the tent and waited for their trainer's orders. "Senie. I need you to stay in here with the eevee. If he wakes up, he shouldn't be alone." Senie nodded and sat by the young kit. Hiyami then went outside with her pokemon. Nina and Rocky were side by side. They looked up to Hiyami and waited for instructions.

"Nina! Tell me when you see him!" Nina nodded and scanned the trees. For a moment she saw nothing, but if there were something, even the rain wouldn't stop her from seeing it. She suddenly saw a figure move in the background and cried out to warn Hiyami.

"Rocky, use a thunderbolt that way!" She ordered. Rocky charged his attack and shot a yellow stream of electricity toward where Nina was looking. It collided with a tree and with a loud crunch, took a huge chunk off. The figure jumped out in front of them.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down! I'm not here to hurt you!" Came the voice of a boy. He sounded At least Hiyami's age.

"Who are you?" She demanded. Rocky and Nina stayed ready to fight just in case.

"My name is kaid. I saw you pick up that sick eevee. I just wanted to see it." He said earnestly.

Hiyami Looked at him. He wore a red shirt that had a bunch of different pokeballs decorated on it. He also wore large shorts that came down to his calfs. He had a small backpack on his back that had many pockets. His hair was short and brown like hers and he kept a bandana around his head.

"Why do you want to see it?" She asked. He tried to come a little closer, but Rocky gave a warning spark.

"I can help it. I have medicine." He reached into his bag and pulled out some liquid in a bottle. Hiyami looked at it. She did want to help the poor kit, but she didn't have the right medicine for him and he seemed to get worse by the minute.

"How do I know I can trust you." She asked.

"I have a flareon. She is my best friend."

"Oh great. Another female." Rocky said. Nina nudged him and he gave a slight chuckle. "I'm Joking."

"Let me see." Hiyami said. Kaid then pulled out a pokeball and threw it up. Light flashed from it and out came the beautiful fire type. She shook her head and looked up at Hiyami.

"Flare. Flareon." She said. Hiyami looked at the fox pokemon. She then looked back at Kaid.

"Okay. I'll let you in, but if you try anything, I'll make sure my pikachu will leave you with a permanant twitch." Kaid gulped and proceeded to the tent.

"Come on Ember." He said to the flareon. She then bounded to her trainer and Hiyami let them in. Nina and Rocky followed. As Hiyami went in, she saw Kaid holding the eevee with the bottle in hand. He pulled out a spoon. He poured a bit of the liquid on it and softly fed it to the young kit. He layed it back down and put the bottle away. Ember went up to the eevee and watched him as he breathed in swiftly. She looked at Kaid.

"Poor thing." she said.

"Do you see many eevee around?" Rocky asked.

"No. Not since I was caught." She replied. She looked at Rocky and then to Nina.

"It must be hard seeing another one so injured." Nina said. Senie came up to them and Ember nodded.

"We were doing the best we could to help him." Senie said. "My name is Senie. Nice to meet you."

Ember nodded again.

"I'm Ember, and that's my trainer, Kaid."

"That should help his fever. Once thats gone he'll be fine." Kaid said to Hiyami. She sat on her knees and rubbed the eevee's ear.

"Thank you." she said. "I didn't know what to do when he wasn't getting better." Kaid nodded. He then stood up and prepared to leave.

"Come on, Ember. We should go." He pulled out her pokeball and expanded it.

"Flare! Flarey flareon!" She said aloud.

"What's wrong? You dont want to go back in your pokeball?" Ember shook her head.

"Maybe you should stay here for the night. Its raining and you could get sick." Hiyami said. "Its the least I can do for your help." Kaid looked at her. "Besides. You can keep an eye on the eevee if something happens. You know more about healing than I do." Ember seemed to agree and so did Hiyami's pokemon.

"Aw, I don't want to impose." Kaid said.

"Its no trouble. I have plenty of room." Hiyami said as she spread her arms out. Kaid smiled.

"Okay. since it IS raining." He sat down and took off his backpack. "Are you on your pokemon journey too?" He asked. Hiyami nodded.

"I have two badges already. I decided to come back home to train before I went for my third."

"Really? I have three. I just left my parents house to go for number four." Hiyami looked at Ember who had made herself cozy next to the eevee.

"Is she your first pokemon?" Hiyami asked. Kaid nodded.

"She's the only one I have. I want to get all of the eevee evolutions soon. They're my favorite pokemon. You're really lucky to find an eevee out in the wild. They're really rare." Hiyami and kaid continued to talk about their pokemon and what happened so far on their journey.

Nina, Senie and Rocky went over to the flareon. She was watching the eevee sleep.

"He... He reminds me of my son.." She said after a long silence. Nina looked at her.

"You had children?" Ember slowly nodded.

"A son and two daughters." Rocky sat next to her.

"Where are they now?" He asked.

"My son left the den one day and never came back. My daughters went after him and were caught. I searched far and wide for them. I found my daughters and they looked so happy. They told me that their trainer was a good person and only had them battle if they wanted to.. I never saw my son again. I only hope that where ever he is, he is happy." Ember shed a tear and turned away.

"I'm sure he is." Rocky said. Nina nodded in agreement. The kit shifted and slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurred and his head throbbed in pain. He slowly looked up. The pokemon around him watched. Senie called to the trainers and they looked. They saw that the eevee was waking and went over to see. The first thing the kit saw was Ember looking down on him.

"M-mom.." He struggled to say. Ember was taken aback. This couldn't be her son. He would be grown up by now.

"No, little one. I am Ember. I am not your mother." She said sadly. She wished she could say that she was his mother, but she didnt want to lie to him. That would be wrong.

"He's awake!" Hiyami said happily. "He's okay! Thank goodness!" Kaid looked at her with a smile. "It was your medicine that helped."

"I think it was more of your kindness that helped. I can tell that you have a good heart." Kaid replied. Hiyami blushed. She knelt down to the kit and watched it take in its surroundings. He looked at her. His eyes widened as he looked around and saw the other pokemon. He began to shake in fear. Who were these pokemon? What did they want? Where was he? Nina could tell he was afraid and Ember picked up on it too.

"Don't be afraid." Nina began. "We are not here to hurt you." The kit looked her in the eyes. She was sincere and had honesty in her voice.

"Where... is... Rima?..." He weakly asked. "Where... is..my sister?.." Nina looked at Rocky. He had the same expression on his face. So did Ember.

"We only found you. There was no one else with you." Nina said. The kit's eyes began to water and he sniffled.

"She's... gone?" He asked in tears. He then turned his head and sobbed. His ears were all the way down and he shivered as he cried. Hiyami's pokemon hung their heads, feeling sorry for the kit. Hiyami looked confused.

"What's wrong? I don't understand." She said. She then looked at Kaid who looked like he had seen this before. "Kaid?.."

"I think this eevee lost his family.." He said. "I've seen this happen. Ember has gone through the same thing when I caught her." Hiyami looked back to the eevee.

"That's horrible.." She said with sympathy. She reached to the kit and petted his head. He didn't struggle or refuse her. Hiyami let a tear fall. How could she compare to an entire family?

"I think we should get some sleep. Maybe we can try to cheer him up tomorrow." Kaid announced. Hiyami nodded.

"Do you guys want to stay out of your pokeballs?" She asked her pokemon. They all nodded except for rocky and Senie who shook their heads. He looked to Nina and Ember.

"I think you two should stay out with him. Too many pokemon may frighten him even worse." Nina and Ember nodded with understanding.

"If you need me, you know where to find me." Senie said. She then winked and was returned to her pokeball. Rocky waved and he too was returned. Nina looked at Ember who had snuggled up with The kit. Nina didn't protest. Maybe this would help them both move on. So Nina went to Hiyami who was in her sleepping bag. Hiyami stroked her neck as Nina lowered herself to a comfortable place to sleep. Hiyami then turned off a light that Nina didn't notice before. Soon everyone was asleep, letting the night pass.

End of chapter 4

c#h#a#p#t#e#r# #4##


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Yumi watched the door to the cage he was in. It was cramped and wet on the floor. Laying down for a time was out of the question. After a long time of standing, his legs became tired and he had no choice but to lie down. Soon he was shivering from the wet cold that stuck under his body. He was in a strange square den that was dimly lit and cold. On the side of him were more cages that held different Pokemon. Right next to him was a butterfree. It lay on the cage floor not moving at all. Its wings were stuck to the wet floor and its eyes were near lifeless. Yumi looked at its eyes as his yellow rings gave a dim glow in its pale face. He saw this pokemon ever since he got here. Every day they would come in and take her away. They would stay gone for hours and when they returned, the butterfree would be in worse shape than when they left. This happened to many of the pokemon that were in here, and only a few were not taken. Yumi was one of the lucky ones. He has been here for what felt like days, and what he has seen happen to the pokemon who were in here was horrible. He couldn't help the feeling that he was next. All he could think about was his family. Ryla was still at the den. What did she think happened to them? Was she worried? Did she leave to find them? What about Rima and Greemy? Were they still alive? No. That thought wasn't allowed. They were alive and he was going to find them. He made a vow to protect them and he couldn't do that from here. He needed to escape, and to do that, he needed a plan. He looked around. In front of him was more cages that held more pokemon. They were all weak and didnt look well. Only Two didnt seem affected by the harsh treatment the humans gave them. The first was a Luxray. He was asleep and seemed strong enough to escape whenever he wanted. Yumi could use his strength. The other was a strange purple pokemon that had strange ears. Yumi has never seen it before and it looked quite young. She was sitting in the back of the cage and softly said her name to herself. Yumi heard her once. It sounded like she was saying espurr. That must've been what she was. He could tell that she came from far away.

It was time to start planning, but first he needed to aquire his team.

"Hey." He whispered to the luxray. The pokemon awoke with a loud yawn and looked at the dark fox type.

"What?" He said gruffly. He would be perfect.

"I'm going to break out of here. I must get back to my family. I need some help." The luxray just looked at him and stayed silent for a few seconds.

"So?" He said with a bored tone.

"Would you help me?" Yumi knew he might say no.

"I've escaped this place before and you know what?" He said. Yumi waited for his answer. "I came back because I was bored."

"So you refuse." Yumi said. The luxray gave a look that said yes. "Well what do I have to do to change your mind?" The luxray smiled.

"You have to beat me." He said bluntly. Yumi felt defeated, but he was determined to escape and this was not going to be how it ends.

"How will we fight from cages? We can't just stare at each other till one of us faints."

"The humans will take us to an arena. They have us fight and whoever loses gets taken care of. If you win, I'll help you escape." The luxray seemed to like fighting, but he also seemed to rely too much on his strength alone. Yumi was smart. He knew how to deal with power lovers.

"I accept." He said. The luxray chuckled.

"You are brave. My name is Salo. What is your name?"

"My name is Yumi." Yumi looked at the cage with the espurr. He could see her eyes looking at him.

"Hello. What is your name?" He said to her. Salo tried to look at who he was talking to. The espurr quickly fled to the back of the cage. Yumi was saddened by her fear, but he understood why she was afraid.

"Don't waste your time with that one." Salo said. Yumi looked at him. "She never speaks. They've brought her here a few days before you came. Never once has she uttered a word." Yumi Looked at the dark cage. There was nothing he could do. "So whats your big plan for escape?" Salo asked with a yawn.

"I needed someone with watchful eyes that could notice a pattern of what the humans do. Perhaps we could use that to our advantage." Yumi looked back to the cage to see only darkness. "I was hoping that she could do that." Salo looked to the cage the quiet pokemon was in.

"Why?.." He asked. Yumi looked back to Salo.

"Because I see that she watches everything. It's also apparent that she is frightened of this place."

"Many of the pokemon here are afraid. Why not help them all?" Yumi once again looked to her cage.

"She knows everything about this place. She could navigate us out."

"How do you know this?"

"Because she just told me." Yumi said. Salo looked at him in complete disbelief. "I can hear her in my thoughts." Salo looked confused.

"She must be a psychic type. You are a dark type. You shouldn't be able to hear her thoughts."

"Dark types have the ability to lower their defenses against psychic. They can speak to us if we choose to let them." Yumi then listened for her again.

"I want to go home..." He heard echo in his mind. The voice of the espurr was frail and frightened.

"Tell me your name." Yumi said aloud. Salo just watched and listened for another voice.

"... Kee.." She thought to Yumi. He nodded.

"Thats a beautiful name. Would you like to leave with us?" She looked at Salo. He was looking back trying to see if he could hear her thoughts.

"Will he eat me?" She asked. Yumi looked at the luxray. He didnt seem to have an appitite for something as small as she was. Even so, he would be sure to keep an eye on him.

"I won't let that happen." Yumi said. Kee slowly came to the front of the cage and looked at him. Her eyes were large and purple. Her fur was ruffled from stress and Yumi saw that her legs were shaking. She nodded and Yumi smiled. "I will protect you, but in order to leave I will need your help." Kee nodded again. Yumi started to project his thoughts of what he wanted her to do. After several minutes, Yumi finished. He looked back to Salo who was frustrated that he couldn't hear what they were discussing.

"Are you hiding something from me?" He asked annoyed.

"I only spoke with her alone because that is what she wanted. She doesn't trust you.. Yet." Salo growled.

"She doesn't even know me!"

"You're a luxray, and you give off an intimidating vibe. Would you trust you?" Salo wanted to argue, but Yumi had a valid argument.

"I suppose not.." He grunted. "What did she tell you?" Yumi asked her telepathically if it was alright to share that with him. She nodded.

"She says that she has a trainer. She was kidnapped from her while they were here for something she called a vacation. She says the people that took her were called Team Nebula. She isn't from here. She comes from a place called Kalos." Salo Nodded.

"What about the plan to leave here?"

"We have to battle first, remember?" Suddenly The entrance to the square den opened and a bright light flashed on. The pokemon that were still awake began to panic. Yumi looked at the door and watched two humans come in. They wore strange clothes that had the same symbols on them that as that giant delibird. Their clothes were a dark red and black. The first human seemed like a male. He had short dark hair that was covered by a hat with the same colors as his clothes. He was big, so he had to be strong. He came to Yumi's cage and showed him his teeth.

"I've been wait'na get my hands on this'un." He said. The other human came over and looked in. It looked much more softer on the face than he did. It had to be female. Her hair was pink and had two giant braids going down the side of her head. She wore a shirt that showed off her stomach while her bottom clothes were only one piece instead of two like the male's. It was short and when she walked, it seemed more flappy then the male's.

"Kylo, we dont have time to goof off." She said to him, complaining. "The boss will have our necks if we dont have these tests done by tomorrow." She then went to the other cages.

"Stop yer worryin'. We both know that he has a soft spot fer the loverly Ania." Kylo teased.

"Where does that leave you?" She challenged. They continued to ramble on as they looked at the caged pokemon. Yumi saw that Kee had fled to the back of her cage again. Perfect. He then projected his thoughts to her.

"Now." He said to her. Kee then crashed to the floor of her cage as hard as she could. She tried to make the thud as loud as possible so the humans would hear. Ania looked at her cage and quickly went to it. She gasped and yelped.

"Kylo, she fainted!" she screamed.

"So? half the pokemon in here're fainted."

"You don't understand! This is the only other one that showed potential. If she gets hurt, the boss will kill us!.. Plus I really like her." Kylo sighed.

"Fine.. Grab'er. I'll find 'er some food." Ania reached to the back of her flappy thing and pulled out a key. she pressed it against a strange part of the cage and the door sunk into the floor. She grabbed Kee almost lovingly. Kee tried her best to stay still. Yumi could feel her panic begin to flare up. He could feel her heart speed up.

"Don't worry. You will be fine. Just remember the plan." Yumi thought to her.

"Yumi?.." She thought back frightened. Ania quickly walked to the door and left out. Kylo followed her, turned off the light and closed the door. The room was dim again. Salo just sat in his cage almost un-affected.

"What do you have planned?" He asked.

"I need her to be able to really know the place we are in. That way we can leave quicker." Yumi replied. "When she returns, she should know a way out."

"Why not ask me? I told you I've escaped here before."

"Were you here in this room?" He asked. Salo grew quiet. "I'm trying to be as thorough as I can, Salo. I can't simply break through the walls like you."

"But I can. You really expect to defeat me? This is funny." Salo laughed. He then layed down in his cage and soon went to sleep. Yumi tried to think. Ryla began to cross his thoughts. So did Rima and Greemy. How were they doing? Were they still together? Soon He layed down as well.

"I'm coming." He quietly said. He then drifted to sleep.

End of chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The night seemed to go by slowly. The ground was wet from rain that had fallen earlier that night. The smell of the damp forest floor rose in the air and covered the trees in its fragrance. Ryla sat in the entrance of the den, keeping her eyes open for her kits. Their journey should've ended by now. What was Yumi doing out with them so late? Though he was an umbreon and more accustom to the darkness, Rima and Greemy were still young and this was their first time traveling far from the den. A bad feeling began to spread through her. She couldn't help but feel something had happened. She could only hope that she was wrong. The night carried on and Ryla grew sleepy. She wanted to stay near the entrance and wait for her family, but her drowsiness only grew. She said a prayer to Arceus to watch over Yumi and her children and walked to the back of the den. She found a comfortable place and softly layed herself down. For many nights she would sleep with Yumi behind her and Rima and Greemy nuzzled on her belly. Thats how she liked it. Her family together. She curled up in a ball, easily feeling the emptiness of the den as she drifted off.

Ryla woke to to the sound of ruffling outside of the den. She perked up and listened. The sound got closer to the entrance and Ryla let out a low growl. The sound stopped in front of the den. Ryla quickly and quietly got to her feet. Her body began to heat up as she prepared to attack whatever was outside. The noise started again and she saw a paw step in the entrance way. Ryla snarled and shot an ember at the intruder. There was a yelp as the flame dispersed throughout the den. Ryla then tackled the pokemon and pinned it down. She bared her fangs and her mouth almost blasted another flame.

"What are you doing here?!" She barked.

"No! please don't eat me!" Squealed a high pitched voice. Ryla was surprised at the plea of terror. The flame in her mouth dissapeared and she looked at what she had caught. She saw that the frightened pokemon was a buneary. She was breathing hard and Ryla could feel her heart beat pound against her. Ryla looked in her eyes and saw not only fear, but worry. She then looked down to the buneary's paw. It was badly burned and the buneary continued to whimper hoping not to be attacked anymore. Ryla released her. The buneary sat up and held her paw while keeping a fearful eye on Ryla. Did she just do that? She was trying to warn her that this den was occupied and not to come closer. That was the point of the warning shot. She must've put more power into it than she tried to.

"What are you doing near my den?" Ryla asked trying not to scare her anymore. It didn't work. The buneary whimpered and ran away. "Wait!" Ryla called after her. she started to go after her but stopped. She looked back at the den. Would Yumi and the kits be worried if they returned to an empty home? Maybe they really were gone. Something was telling her that it was true. That was the last thing she wanted to be real, but this feeling. She turned from the den. If her family was missing, then she had no choice but to find them. She didn't know where to look so she decided to start her journey by helping that frightened buneary and quickly sprinted after her. The woods were dark and quiet. She could smell the scent of the buneary and that helped her keep up to her. Ryla passed by several sleeping pokemon. Only two woke to see a flareon racing past them. They both let out their cries as a warning to stay away, but she had no interest in their dens. Whenever she felt she lost the rabbit pokemon, she would stop, close her eyes and take in the scent of the air. Once she caught the buneary's scent, she would race off to where the smell came from. Ryla has been around many buneary and lopunny, so she knew their scent well. This one however had a strange smell to her. It was a buneary, but it wasn't normal. Was she sick?

Soon she came close because she could hear the soft fearful cries of the frightened pokemon. Ryla slowed her sprinting to a soft hunt like tread. She watched her steps very carefully to make sure she didn't make noise and scare off the poor pokemon again. She then came to a tree that the cries seemed to be coming from. She stealthily peeked around it and saw the buneary. Her ears were down and and her cheeks were soaked from her tears. She didn't seem that much older than Rima and Greemy. Where were her parents? Is that why she was crying? Ryla mentally took a breath and showed herself. The buneary watched her come around, but continued to sit under the tree. For a moment, there was silence between them. Then Ryla spoke.

"Why did you run away?" She asked the buneary. The scared pokemon wiped her eyes and stayed quiet. Ryla came closer to her. The buneary let out a small whimper. "Dont be afraid. I dont want to hurt you. I want to help you." Ryla was close enough to see the buneary's injury. It couldnt have been her ember attack because the burn was old. Ryla looked into her eyes.

"Does it still hurt?" She asked. The buneary nodded. Ryla licked her paw and the buneary grimaced.

"Ow!" She yelped. Ryla was relieved she said at least that. Now she was getting through somewhat.

"Where are your parents?" Ryla asked. The buneary closed her eyes and turned away.

"If I told you, you wouldnt believe me." She replied. Ryla looked confused.

"Why not?"

"Because no one does. I'm stuck like this forever." Now Ryla was really confused.

"You can't know if I would believe you if you won't tell me." Ryla said. Now she was curious. She wanted to know what the buneary was talking about. It couldn't be that strange. The rabbit pokemon hesitated for a moment. She then looked at Ryla and began.

"My name is Miria. I...I used to be a human.." There was silence. Ryla looked in her eyes. She seemed truthful, but human? This was a lot to absorb. Miria looked saddened. "I told you you wouldn't believe me.." She hid her face in her ears and started crying.

"No no no, I do believe you." Ryla said to her. Miria moved her ears to see ryla. "I knew from your scent. Its not like the other buneary here." Miria looked happy that someone believes her. "How did this happen to you?" Miria began her story. She told Ryla that she was from a place called Twinleaf town. Her father was a pokemon professor and also studied pokemon dna. Ryla knew she wasn't a real pokemon now because she used words she has never heard before. She continued to say that her father built a machine that could alter pokemon dna. Curious about it, Miria tried to use it on her own buneary, but somehow she ended up stuck inside the machine. Her father came along and turned it on while she was still inside. She told Ryla how painful it was when her body transformed. Her bones shrunk and her body grew the fur that surrounded her. When she escaped from the machine, she tried to find her father so he could turn her back. When she found him and she tried to speak, her father thought she was just another wild pokemon and tried to catch her. So she ran off and ended up lost in the forest. She had lost all hope of ever becoming human again and has been crying here ever since. Ryla was shocked at her story. It was so sad and now Miria had nothing. She lost everything. In a way, she was kind of like Ryla. Miria was crying by the time she finished her story.

"I just wanted to go home.." She weeped. Ryla sat next to her and put her tail around her.

"You will get home." She said. Miria looked at her through teary eyes. "I'll help you."

"Really?" Miria smiled excitedly.

"But first I need your help." No sooner than she said that, the two pokemon heard a thud near by. They looked at where it came from and saw Only shadow from the trees.

"What was that?.." Miria whispered. Ryla didnt know but, she jumped in front of Miria protectively. She let out a low growl at where the noise came from. Suddenly, two sets of eyes pierced through the shades. They fixed on Ryla and Miria. Ryla got ready to attack as a flame sparked in her mouth. Miria stepped out and spoke.

"Please. We didn't mean to bother you. We are lost and dont know where we are. Can you help us?" Ryla looked back at Miria who gave her a 'trust me' look. Ryla looked back at the two figures. They both stepped out. The two pokemon were a sneasel and a weavile. The weavile was the eldest and had a look of understanding. He seemed to have been through much in his life. The sneasel was much younger and had a look of eagerness and impatience.

"Where do you come from, young buneary?" The weavile asked.

"My name is Miria. I was once a-" Ryla jumped in.

"She came from another forest. She isn't from around here." The weavile looked at Ryla.

"And you?"

"I am Ryla. I am from this forest and have lived here my whole life."

"I dont believe THAT one." The sneasel said.

"Enough, Shade." The weavile said, quieting the young sneasel. He then looked back to Ryla.

"You say you need help?" She nodded and explained about her lost family. She told them she felt they were in danger and she needed to find them. The weavile listened while giving an occasional nod. Shade shook his head in disbelief. Miria looked at him and he looked back. He quickly turned away trying to hide his blush. Miria giggled. This was unexpected. Pokemon were more human than she realized.

"I want to find them, but I don't know where I should go." Ryla finished. The weavile looked at Miria then back to Ryla.

"I am Unayo. I am a member of The Guild. I can't help you, but maybe our leader can."

"Are you crazy?!" Shade barked. "We can't take them to The Guild! They aren't members!" Unayo looked at Shade who didn't back down this time.

"They have a story to tell. They need our help, and you will watch your tone, Shade." Shade growled and looked back at Miria. She looked back and Shade turned his head and sped off.

"Where is he going?" Miria asked. Unayo turned to her and sighed.

"He is young and very impatient. He has gone back to The Guild to warn the leader of your coming. I will speak with him. He may be of some help to you." He then turned to where Shade ran and began walking. Ryla and Miria followed. Miria looked at the Weavile and began to grow curious. Weavile weren't normal in Eterna Forest. They usually live in the forests near Snowpoint City. Why were these two pokemon here?

"You have something on your mind, young Miria?" Unayo asked. Miria gasped wondering how he knew. She remained quiet for several seconds. How could she ask without sounding suspicious? The last thing she wanted was to be left alone again. She finally spoke up.

"I was just wondering how you came to this forest. I don't usually see weavile here." Unayo chuckled.

"Young curiosity." He said with a smile. Miria smiled too and so did Ryla who was also wondering the same thing. "You are right. We aren't from this forest. The current leader of The Guild and I were both caught by a human group named Team Nebula. They took me from my home and put me in a strange place. He and I escaped from there with a handful of others and we traveled until we came to what is now our home. Shade was one of the pokemon we escaped with, though he was newly hatched at the time. I took him as my own and have been raising him ever since." Miria and Ryla listened to his story. Ryla began to think to herself. Even though he wasn't Shade's real father, he still took him in. There were pokemon that cared for their kind to this extent. She remembered how she met Yumi. He was always around a houndoom that looked after him. Thats right. Yumi WAS adopted. She had nearly forgotten. The Houndoom he was with was very protective of him and loved him very much. It only made sense for him to have become an umbreon. Ryla smiled at the thought. She then looked at Miria who was still listening to Unayo. Maybe...

They all walked for at least an hour. Miria started to look around nervously. She had never been in this part of the forest before and she was starting to get scared. Ryla nudged her a bit to asure that she was safe. Miria nodded and stayed close to her. The sun was begining to rise and in front of it was a blackened figure that blocked the sunrise.

"That is where we are going." Unayo announced. "Its an old human den that we made our home."

"Who goes there?" called a voice. Everyone stopped. Ryla and Miria looked around for the source of whoever just stopped them. Out floated a rough looking haunter. Miria looked on with awe while Ryla mentally prepared for an attack.

"It is only me, Hex." Unayo said

"Oh. I'm glad its only you and no-" he stopped mid sentence and looked at Ryla and Miria. They stood behind Unayo and looked at the inspecting ghost pokemon. "Friends of yours?" He asked shakily. Unayo nodded.

"I found them in the forest. They are in need of our help." Hex looked at them again.

"Are you sure Lectro won't mind? He's been really cautious lately."

"Lectro is my friend. I started this Guild with him. Besides he always helps those in need. That is why I am still here." Hex sighed.

"Okay." He said. Unayo then led Ryla and Miria on. They came to the figure against the sunrise. They were closer so they could see it clearly. It stood tall as the trees and was wider than anything Ryla has ever seen. They approached it and the closer they got the more menacing the place looked. Ryla felt uneasy just looking at it.

"Why does this place make my skin crawl?" Ryla asked with a slight shiver.

"I've heard that this place was haunted." Miria said. Ryla looked at her. "They call it the old chateau. We do our best to avoid it because of the stories about it." Ryla didn't want to ask but her curiosity was nagging at her.

"What stories?" She asked. Miria shivered and began.

"There was a man who used to live here with his daughter. The girl loved her father very much but he despised her with all of his being because she reminded him of his wife that he had lost. The girl was lonely because her father was always so busy. One day she was sleeping and her father was watching her. He released a ghastly and ordered it to posses her. She woke to something controlling her body, and what was controlling her had taken her to the roof. The ghastly apologized to her and jumped. The father was never found..." Miria shivered again. "They say that the girl's ghost still wanders the house, looking for her father and wanting to ask him one thing. 'Why?'" Ryla looked up and saw that they were at the entrance. She looked at Unayo who was looking back at them.

"Don't frighten yourselves." He said. "we wouldnt want this trip to go to waste would we?" Miria shook her head. Ryla looked into the open entrance to the building. Her legs shook as her instincts told her to run from this place. She then mentally scolded herself. 'Remeber why you are here, Ryla. Rima, Greemy and Yumi need you. You have to find them no matter what.' She then stepped inside and Miria followed close behind. A group of ghastly appeared out of the air and began to circle them playfully. Unayo walked in front of them and smiled.

"Do not fear. The ghost pokemon here are friendly."He said to them reassuringly. "When we came here, we found them living here alone. We thought they wanted to harm us, but we soon discovered that they merely were lonely and wanted friends to play with."

'That doesn't stop them from being scary.' Miria thought. They walked into a large room with a ceiling that seemed to touch the sky. A large chandelier hung from the top and seemed as if it would fall within the year. Two paths that led upward in levels sat on both sides of the room. Ryla had never seen anything like them before. She looked at Miria remembering that she was once human. She might know what they are.

"Miria, what are those on the sides of the den?" Miria looked and smiled.

"They're called stair cases. They help lead up to places we cant reach on our own." She explained.

"And thats where our leader is residing. Come I will take you to him." Unayo led them to the stair case and began to climb. Ryla helped Miria climb the stairs when she saw that she was having trouble with her tiny arms. They reached the top and turned left. They then came to a room with a wooden box in the center of it. It seemed like there was a square hole inside it, but the hole was covered by something dark grey.

"I have returned, Lectro." Unayo said aloud. Suddenly the box flickered a light and lit up the room. Ryla looked in awe and Miria gasped. The box then flashed and displayed an electrified orange pokemon. It had blue eyes and an antenna sprouting from the top of his head. Miria exclaimed excitedly. Ryla looked to see that she was smiling.

"Its Rotom!" She squealed in delight. The electric pokemon smiled.

"Welcome back Unayo!" The Rotom said happily. He then looked at The smiling Buneary and the cautious flareon. "I see you brought company." Unayo nodded.

"These two need help, Lectro." He said. He then explained Ryla's situation. With a flash, Lectro popped out of the box and settled in front of the other pokemon.

"I would love to help." He said to Ryla. "We started this guild to help pokemon in need. I can guarantee that awful Team Nebula has them." Lectro looked at Miria. She smiled excitedly. "So you used to be human, huh?" He said. Ryla looked at him shocked. Had he known the whole time? What was Unayo going to do?

"Y...yes." Miria confirmed shakily. There was silence. Miria started to grow nervous. Unayo had a look of seriousness on his face. Suddenly Lectro burst out laughing.

"Did I have YOU going!" He cackled. Unayo simply smiled and shook his head. Miria sighed with relief. "I actually came across someone in the same situation before, believe it or not."

"Really?" Miria said.

"Mm hm. But thats not important right now. We should focus on the problem at hand. We will need to gather a search party. Maybe two to be safe."

"Where are the others, Lectro?" Unayo asked.

"They are all out searching for food. We were starting to get low on rations."

"Did Shade return?" Lectro frowned.

"No. Wasn't he with you?" Unayo sighed.

"Shade.." He said frustrated. "What is with you?"

"Will you go find him?" Lectro asked. Unayo looked at him and nodded. He then looked at Ryla and Miria.

"I am honored to have met you both. Good luck to you." He then left out of the room and was gone.

"Well." Lectro began. "In order to help you, I will need the help of the other members. They won't be back for at least the rest of the day, unfortunately. In the mean time You can stay here and rest. You both must be tired." Ryla did feel a little exhausted from all the walking. Not to mention her staying up waiting for Yumi. MIria looked a little sleepy herself. "Let me show you where you can stay." Lectro then floated out of the door. Ryla and Miria followed. They passed several rooms that were home to caterpies bunearies and even fellow eevee. Ryla lost her sense of fear and a feeling of safety came over her. She closed her eyes in shame. How could she have this feeling when her family is out there somewhere. What condition were they in? were they alright? Was she right to leave the den to find them? These questions were eating away at her.

"Are you alright?" Miria asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little tired, thats all." Miria didn't argue.

Lectro made a final turn and they entered another room. This one had a large white thing inside of it with smaller white things that held soft looking flaps in them.

"This is a laundry room." Miria said knowing that Ryla might've asked. "Its for things like clothes and stuff." Ryla didnt know what clothes were, and she was too tired to ask about them.

"This is where you can stay. I will come and get you when I have a party for you." With that, Lectro poofed with an electric pop and was gone. Maybe he was showing off. Ryla looked around and found a spot to lay. She went over to a laundry basket and felt the white flap inside. It was nice and soft so she jumped on and got comfortable. She was nearly sleep in a matter of seconds when she felt something tap her. She opened her eyes to see Miria looking at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Miria shook her head.

"I'm still a little afraid of the ghastly here. Can I sleep with you?" Ryla looked around and didnt see any ghastly. She looked at the small buneary. What harm could it do? She then invited her to jump up. Miria leaped in the basket and layed her head down on Ryla's side. This was familiar. Thats right. Rima and Greemy. They would lay on her like this too. She shed a small tear and drifted off to sleep. She was going to find them. She had to.

end of chapter


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The morning sun hovered over the forest, warming the trees from the nights chill. The morning pokemon were already starting to stir as their cries echoed through the woods. Luckily the rain had stopped from the night before and the air still carried the sweet scent left from the down pour. Rima dreamt of her father again. This time it was a pleasant dream. He wasn't trying to eat her or scold her for losing Greemy.

They were back home in their den. Rima lay next to Yumi who was grooming her ears. She liked when she was able to spend time with him like this. She felt so safe and protected with him. It was as if nothing could happen that would seperate them.

"You love flowers, dont you Rima?" He said. Rima looked up at her father and noddded. "What do you want to evolve into?" Rima knew the answer to that already. She knew Ryla would not like it, but she felt that she could tell Yumi anything.

"I want to be a leafeon." She replied. Yumi nodded and smiled.

"You would make a beautiful leafeon." He said. Rima beamed at the compliment. He continued to talk with his daughter, telling her how much he loved her and her brother. "Rima." Yumi said as he became serious. Rima looked at him, ready to hear what he had to say. "I am in trouble. I need your help." Rima tried to speak but no words came. "I know you can do it. You are my daughter. I have no doubt."

"B-but.. Where are you?" she stammered. Yumi simply smiled.

"You will know soon enough." Yumi began to fade from behind her. Rima watched him evaporate into a thin mist and as he did, he drifted out of the den. Rima knew he had to leave but was still heartbroken from her father's departure. She felt her eyes swell with tears as she sadly lowered her head and began crying.

"Little one.." She heard in her head. She awoke to the feeling of warm fur on her back. She looked back to see Kano smiling down to her. She tried to smile but she remembered her dream and real tears began to flood from her eyes. She pushed her head into Kano's fur and cried. Kano was confused at first but remembered that she must miss her family. "It is alright." He soothed. She nuzzled his chest and let her sadness flow. How was she ever going to find Greemy? What about her mother? She must be so worried about them. Was Yumi really asking her to help him from her dreams? This was all so much and so sudden. How was she ever going to get back home? How was anything ever going to be the same again?

"I want to go home.." She said through tears. Kano placed his paw on her back to comfort her.

"I know..." He said. What could he do? There was no way he alone could fill a void as big as this even as much as he wanted to. This was all he could do for her. They both sat there for several more minutes until Kano told her it was time she showed him what she learned from her father about searching.

Rima slowly followed Kano out of his den. She looked around and saw that his home was inside of a fallen tree that was covered in moss and vines. The area ahead of them was a small clearing that was host to a series of many flowers. They released such a sweet scent that Rima had to stop and smell the wonderful air. The trees above surrounded the area and let the sunlight beam on the flowers. This place was beautiful.

"You live here?" She asked, feeling like she was in a dream.

"I usually come here when I venture from the mountains. That is where my true home is." He said. She wondered where that was. "Come. This way." Rima quickly caught up to him. He began walking toward the trees. Rima looked at the dense forest and felt her heart jump. Did he really live this close to such darkness?

"Kano?..."She softly whimpered. He looked at her and smiled.

"It is alright. I will protect you." he said beckoning her to come along. She nodded and followed. The forest was thick and almost immediately the light from the clearing was barely visible. Rima kept her eyes on Kano's white fur as a guide. The heavy smell of the trees flooded her senses and forced her to pant. Kano led her for several minutes until the light behind them was now gone and the darkness hung over them like a dark cloud. Kano finally stopped and let the tired eevee kit catch up. Her weariness was clear as she struggled to catch her breath. Rima looked ahead of Kano to see a moss covered boulder in front of them. It was cracked on its sides and freshly fallen leaves rested on the top. Rima looked at it and then to Kano. He had a serious look on his face as he stared at the large rock.

"I have brought you here for a reason." He began. Rima listened. "I have seen and known many pokemon. Many of them were eevee." He then looked at her. "There comes a time in an eevee's life where a decision must be made." He nodded to the boulder and Rima looked at it. "This stone will help you make that choice." What was Kano saying? Did this have something to do with evolving? Shouldn't that be between family? How long did he think she would want to stay with him?

"What do you mean?" She asked. He looked at her and smiled.

" You will know when the time comes. This is a choice that you shall make on your own and when you do, all I ask is that you remember this place." Rima looked at him still a little confused and nodded. She didnt understand completely, but now she was sure this had to do with evolving. A large moss covered rock, the deep forest. Was he trying to have her evolve into a leafeon? It is what she wanted, but why did he want her to? Was he able to see her dream? What exactly was Kano capable of?

Kano then turned around toward the way they came. "Now we can begin." He started walking toward a bush that held a strange cache of berries. Rima hadn't noticed it until now. She followed behind him and went up to the bush. She looked at Kano who made a gesture to the berries. "which ones are poisonous?" he asked quizzically. Rima looked back at the bush and studied the berries. They were different than the ones she and Greemy learned about. They had a red bottom and a long tip that was yellow. Rima couldnt help but smile at the silly fruit.

"What are they called?" She asked him.

"Figy berries." He replied. Rima giggled and Kano held back a laugh. "They are pretty silly now that I think about it." Rima searched for the mark that Yumi told her about.

"That one." She said as she nosed one that had a pink color on its stomach. Kano nodded.

"Thats right. You know more than I thought you would." Rima smiled and took one of the non poisonous berries down and bit into it. She winced from the sour yet sweet tatse. The more she chewed, the more she liked it. It wasnt that bad after a while.

Rima reached out for another one. As she went in she saw something in the the bush. She realized that it was a pair of eyes and fell back with a yelp.

"Something saw me!" she cried. Kano jumped into the bush and caught the intruder. There was a yelp of pain as he dragged out another pokemon. It was black and had a large red thing on its ear.

"Let me go!" It yelled as it struggled in Kano's teeth. Kano dropped the dark pokemon and growled.

"What are you doing here?" he said menacingly. Rima jumped behind him and peeked at the stranger.

"I was looking for food when you grabbed me, you cotton ball!" The pokemon was male and barked at Kano for disturbing his hunt.

"You are in my territory. You shouldn't be so invasive. A different pokemon might not have been as generous as I" Kano had a calm but stern voice. He was speaking as if teaching a lesson. Was this pokemon really that young to him. With one glance, its easy to see that the pokemon was a little older than Rima, but he didnt seem the type to give up that easily.

"You didnt have to rough me up like that." He said. Rima stepped from nehind Kano as he watched her study the new pokemon. The stranger looked at her.

"And YOU didnt have to scre-" He stopped mid sentance as he looked at the young eevee. He squinted and Rima began to feel uncomfortable then. Why was he staring at her like this?

"You're an eevee." He said as if remembering something. "Would your name be Rima?" She was taken aback. How did he know who she was? What was going on?

"Why don't you telll us who you are first." Kano demanded.

"My name is Shade." He said as he looked up at the all white pokemon. "There is a flareon looking for her. She says her name is Ryla."

"Mommy!" Rima blurted. Kano looked at her. She ran up to Shade and tackled him to the ground. He was surprised by the small eevee's sudden strength.

"Rima!" Kano barked as he too was shocked at her action.

"Where is she?!" She asked as she stood on top of him. He could see the longing in the kit's eyes. The flareon was telling the truth.

"You didnt have to tackle me! I would've told yo-"

"Where!?" Tears were falling from her eyes now.

"She is at the Guild. She came to us for help with a buneary." Rima jumped off of him and ran up to Kano, ignoring the part about the buneary.

"Can we go, Kano? please?" She begged. This was her chance to get home. Maybe her father was there. Maybe they found Greemy. Her heart was filled with hope. Kano looked at Shade who was looking at her from the forest floor, still a little shocked and a bit angry.

"Are you feeling well enough to travel?" He asked. She quickly nodded making her long ears flop about. He smiled and looked at Shade again. "Come over here." He ordered. Shade shuffled his way over to him like a child being told what to do. "What is this guild you spoke of?"

"Its an organizing of pokemon who help others in the forest. Its also my home." Kano nodded.

"I've heard of this recently. I would like to see. I am coming along." Shade looked at them both.

"what are you, her guardian or something?" He asked. Kano replied with a nod.

"I made a promise to protect her. That means if you lead us wrong, I wont hold back." Kano had that calmness tone again and it was starting to make Shade nervous.

"Wait!" he started

"Before we leave, I think we should go back to my den for food. These berries are good, but they won't give much energy." Rima nodded.

"Hey listen to me!" Shade said more desperately.

"Well lets move along." Kano started to walk back. Rima happily followed.

"I DON'T REMEMBER AGREEING TO THIS!" Shade yelled as he ran after them.

Rima thought about her family. She was going to see them again. Hope wasn't lost after all. It was just like Kano said. She was going home. Shade followed behind them still complaining when the grond began vibrating. Rima looked down and saw that her feet were shaking from the sudden movements. Kano stopped and looked around. A loud crunching noise began to sound through the trees. Rima realized what it was and she looked a Kano in horror. Not again.

"Its Team Nebula!" Shade shouted. Rima and Kano looked at him. What was Team Nebula? Shade turned to them and yelled, "RUN!" Kano couldnt leave him here alone. But Rima. She wont stand a chance even if she was well hidden. Suddenly that giant delibird burst through the trees. Kano Picked Rima up by the scruff of her neck and ran. Just like Yumi did. He Sped past trees and eventually arrived at the den. He ran inside and set Rima down. He looked her in the eyes and spoke.

"Stay in here. Do not leave this den, okay?"

"Daddy, Where are you going?" She said. She then realized what she said. This was just like before. He couldnt leave. Kano just couldnt leave. He was going to get taken like Yumi.

"Is that what happened to your father?" He asked. She shakily nodded. He sighed.

"I'll be fine. Just stay here. I have to help that pokemon. He can take you to Your mother." Rima looked at him with watery eyes. It pained Kano to see her so upset, but he wanted to protect her and thats what he was going to do. He then nuzzled her and ran out of the den.

"Kano!" She cried after him. He was gone. She stood there for several minutes, hoping he would show. Soon she lay herself down near the entrance and waited. She waited. Waited. Nothing. No one. She was losing hope again. Why did this keep happening? Why wont that delibird leave her alone? Was this going to be her life?

She then heard footsteps coming for her. She jumped up and ran to the back of the den. Who was here? Was it Kano? She then saw someone walk in. It was Shade and he seemed tired. Rima ran out to him.

"Where is Kano?" She asked desperately. Shade just looked at her and shook his head. Rima's heart nearly stopped. Kano was gone? No. He couldnt be. He just couldn't. She layed down and sobbed. Shade sat next to her and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Rima. I tried to help him, but it was too strong for me. They took him away." He saw that she was still crying. He felt so helpless. "He asked me to take you to the Guild. To take you to your mother." Rima looked at him. He was getting through.

"Really?.." She asked with a sniffle. Shade nodded.

"We should leave now. The delibird might come back." He said. Rima nodded. Shade wiped her tears and she looked into his eyes. She felt her face flush and would be blushing if not for her fur. What was this feeling? It wasn't like how she felt about her father or Greemy. This was different. She couldnt describe it. All she knew was that she felt a new liking to Shade. A kind she has never felt for anyone else.

Shade stood up. "We should go." He said as he started toward the entrance. Rima stood up and followed. Shade stopped and looked around. He decided it was clear, picked up Rima with one arm and dashed into the trees.

End of chapter 7


End file.
